SATURABLE ABSORBERS FOR Q-SWITCHING OF MIDDLE INFRARED LASER CAVATIES

摘要

This disclosure demonstrates successfully using single, polycrystalline, hot pressed ceramic, and thin film Fe doped binary chalcogenides (such as ZnSe and ZnS) as saturable absorbing passive Q-switches. The method of producing polycrystalline ZnSe(S) yields fairly uniform distribution of dopant, large coefficients of absorption (5-50 cm−1) and low passive losses while being highly cost effective and easy to reproduce. Using these Fe2+:ZnSe crystals, stable Q-switched output was achieved with a low threshold and the best cavity configuration yielded 13 mJ/pulse single mode Q-switched output and 85 mJ in a multipulse regime.

主权项

1. A method performed by an Erbium or transition metal doped laser for producing laser pulses at a laser wavelength around 3 μm based on passive Q-switching at room temperature, comprising:
providing a laser cavity in the Erbium or transition metal doped laser to include a doped laser gain material to produce laser light at a laser wavelength around 3 μm under optical pumping; and using a saturable absorber inside the laser cavity to effectuate passive Q-switching in the laser light that generates laser pulses at the laser wavelength around 3 μm, where the saturable absorber is a single crystalline or polycrystalline material of Fe2+:ZnSe or Fe2+:ZnS structured to exhibit a saturable absorption at the laser wavelength around 3 μm that effectuates the passive Q-switching at room temperature.